Every Carnival season, it happens like clockwork. Someone asks the question that launches a thousand eye-rolls and side-eyes: Who did Mardi Gras first...Mobile or New Orleans?
According to Mardi Gras Guide founder and Carnival historian Arthur Hardy, the answer is… well, it depends.
“There’s no question that Mardi Gras as we know it started in New Orleans,” Hardy says. “But the very first parade actually happened in Mobile.”
Before New Orleans residents start clutching their beads, Hardy quickly adds the fine print. That first Mobile parade didn’t roll on Fat Tuesday, it happened on New Year’s Eve.
“The first real Carnival on Fat Tuesday? That’s all New Orleans,” Hardy says.
And just to keep things interesting, Hardy says history shows the cities were borrowing from each other early on. The first Fat Tuesday parade in New Orleans featured floats and design elements from Mobile’s parades.
“It’s really more like cousins arguing with cousins,” Hardy says. “There’s a lot of history, and a lot of joking.”
Still, when asked the question that really matters, who does Mardi Gras better, Hardy doesn’t hesitate.
“New Orleans, baby!”
So yes, Mobile gets bragging rights for hosting the first parade. New Orleans gets the crown for turning Mardi Gras into the world-famous spectacle it is today. And the debate? That’s just part of the fun; one that’s guaranteed to pop up again next Carnival season.